Pig and pork markets hit their lowest levels

The decline in the European pig and pork sectors has continued to drop, as German slaughterhouses are dragging down the meat market and taking the piglet trade along with it. The DCA EU-5 Piglet Price Index lowered by €1.19 to €35.18 per piglet.PigletsThe piglet trade is driven by the buyer. Market participants describe it as a push market, where sellers must find buyers rather than buyers seeking stock. Farmers who fatten pigs are scared to buy new stock, since meat prices are falling.In week 28, the DCA Best Piglet Price fell to its lowest point by €1.00 to €29.00 per piglet. Even though the summer heatwave is ending and trucks can legally ship piglets to Spain again, sales are still very difficult. Buyers are offering extremely low prices, yet they often reject the deal. The weeks of blocked transport during the heatwave left a stock of unsold piglets, and local markets are struggling to clear it.PorkThe VEZG pig price fell to €1.40 per kg. This brings the German quotation below its January 2026 low, marking the lowest level since early 2022.Slaughterhouses are facing poor meat sales, full cold stores, and postponed scheduled slaughters. The absolute supply of ready-to-slaughter pigs isn't yet huge, due to slower animal growth rates over the past few weeks. However, because slaughterhouses are completely full, they have no urgency to buy. The European pork value chain remains in a high-stress environment. Until retail and export meat sales accelerate enough to clear the current backlog out of cold storage, a sustainable floor for both pigs and piglets will remain hard to secure.